eugenie grandet-第34部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


shirt　whose　pleated　frill　gave　him　a　family　resemblance　to　the　race　of
turkeys。　He　addressed　the　beautiful　heiress　familiarly；　and　spoke　of
her　as　〃Our　dear　Eugenie。〃　In　short；　except　for　the　number　of
visitors；　the　change　from　loto　to　whist；　and　the　disappearance　of
Monsieur　and　Madame　Grandet；　the　scene　was　about　the　same　as　the　one
with　which　this　history　opened。　The　pack　were　still　pursuing　Eugenie
and　her　millions；　but　the　hounds；　more　in　number；　lay　better　on　the
scent；　and　beset　the　prey　more　unitedly。　If　Charles　could　have　dropped
from　the　Indian　Isles；　he　would　have　found　the　same　people　and　the
same　interests。　Madame　des　Grassins；　to　whom　Eugenie　was　full　of
kindness　and　courtesy；　still　persisted　in　tormenting　the　Cruchots。
Eugenie；　as　in　former　days；　was　the　central　figure　of　the　picture；　and
Charles；　as　heretofore；　would　still　have　been　the　sovereign　of　all。
Yet　there　had　been　some　progress。　The　flowers　which　the　president
formerly　presented　to　Eugenie　on　her　birthdays　and　fete…days　had　now
become　a　daily　institution。　Every　evening　he　brought　the　rich　heiress
a　huge　and　magnificent　bouquet；　which　Madame　Cornoiller　placed
conspicuously　in　a　vase；　and　secretly　threw　into　a　corner　of　the
court…yard　when　the　visitors　had　departed。

Early　in　the　spring；　Madame　des　Grassins　attempted　to　trouble　the
peace　of　the　Cruchotines　by　talking　to　Eugenie　of　the　Marquis　de
Froidfond；　whose　ancient　and　ruined　family　might　be　restored　if　the
heiress　would　give　him　back　his　estates　through　marriage。　Madame　des
Grassins　rang　the　changes　on　the　peerage　and　the　title　of　marquise；
until；　mistaking　Eugenie's　disdainful　smile　for　acquiescence；　she　went
about　proclaiming　that　the　marriage　with　〃Monsieur　Cruchot〃　was　not
nearly　as　certain　as　people　thought。

〃Though　Monsieur　de　Froidfond　is　fifty；〃　she　said；　〃he　does　not　look
older　than　Monsieur　Cruchot。　He　is　a　widower；　and　he　has　children；
that's　true。　But　then　he　is　a　marquis；　he　will　be　peer　of　France；　and
in　times　like　these　where　you　will　find　a　better　match？　I　know　it　for
a　fact　that　Pere　Grandet；　when　he　put　all　his　money　into　Froidfond；
intended　to　graft　himself　upon　that　stock；　he　often　told　me　so。　He　was
a　deep　one；　that　old　man！〃

〃Ah！　Nanon；〃　said　Eugenie；　one　night　as　she　was　going　to　bed；　〃how　is
it　that　in　seven　years　he　has　never　once　written　to　me？〃



XIII

While　these　events　were　happening　in　Saumur；　Charles　was　making　his
fortune　in　the　Indies。　His　commercial　outfit　had　sold　well。　He　began
by　realizing　a　sum　of　six　thousand　dollars。　Crossing　the　line　had
brushed　a　good　many　cobwebs　out　of　his　brain；　he　perceived　that　the
best　means　of　attaining　fortune　in　tropical　regions；　as　well　as　in
Europe；　was　to　buy　and　sell　men。　He　went　to　the　coast　of　Africa　and
bought　Negroes；　combining　his　traffic　in　human　flesh　with　that　of
other　merchandise　equally　advantageous　to　his　interests。　He　carried
into　this　business　an　activity　which　left　him　not　a　moment　of　leisure。
He　was　governed　by　the　desire　of　reappearing　in　Paris　with　all　the
prestige　of　a　large　fortune；　and　by　the　hope　of　regaining　a　position
even　more　brilliant　than　the　one　from　which　he　had　fallen。

By　dint　of　jostling　with　men；　travelling　through　many　lands；　and
studying　a　variety　of　conflicting　customs；　his　ideas　had　been　modified
and　had　become　sceptical。　He　ceased　to　have　fixed　principles　of　right
and　wrong；　for　he　saw　what　was　called　a　crime　in　one　country　lauded　as
a　virtue　in　another。　In　the　perpetual　struggle　of　selfish　interests
his　heart　grew　cold；　then　contracted；　and　then　dried　up。　The　blood　of
the　Grandets　did　not　fail　of　its　destiny；　Charles　became　hard；　and
eager　for　prey。　He　sold　Chinamen；　Negroes；　birds'　nests；　children；
artists；　he　practised　usury　on　a　large　scale；　the　habit　of　defrauding
custom…houses　soon　made　him　less　scrupulous　about　the　rights　of　his
fellow　men。　He　went　to　the　Island　of　St。　Thomas　and　bought；　for　a　mere
song；　merchandise　that　had　been　captured　by　pirates；　and　took　it　to
ports　where　he　could　sell　it　at　a　good　price。　If　the　pure　and　noble
face　of　Eugenie　went　with　him　on　his　first　voyage；　like　that　image　of
the　Virgin　which　Spanish　mariners　fastened　to　their　masts；　if　he
attributed　his　first　success　to　the　magic　influence　of　the　prayers　and
intercessions　of　his　gentle　love；　later　on　women　of　other　kinds；
blacks；　mulattoes；　whites；　and　Indian　dancing…girls；orgies　and
adventures　in　many　lands；　completely　effaced　all　recollection　of　his
cousin；　of　Saumur；　of　the　house；　the　bench；　the　kiss　snatched　in　the
dark　passage。　He　remembered　only　the　little　garden　shut　in　with
crumbling　walls；　for　it　was　there　he　learned　the　fate　that　had
overtaken　him；　but　he　rejected　all　connection　with　his　family。　His
uncle　was　an　old　dog　who　had　filched　his　jewels；　Eugenie　had　no　place
in　his　heart　nor　in　his　thoughts；　though　she　did　have　a　place　in　his
accounts　as　a　creditor　for　the　sum　of　six　thousand　francs。

Such　conduct　and　such　ideas　explain　Charles　Grandet's　silence。　In　the
Indies；　at　St。　Thomas；　on　the　coast　of　Africa；　at　Lisbon；　and　in　the
United　States　the　adventurer　had　taken　the　pseudonym　of　Shepherd；　that
he　might　not　compromise　his　own　name。　Charles　Shepherd　could　safely　be
indefatigable；　bold；　grasping；　and　greedy　of　gain；　like　a　man　who
resolves　to　snatch　his　fortune　/quibus　cumque　viis/；　and　makes　haste
to　have　done　with　villany；　that　he　may　spend　the　rest　of　his　life　as
an　honest　man。

With　such　methods；　prosperity　was　rapid　and　brilliant；　and　in　1827
Charles　Grandet　returned　to　Bordeaux　on　the　〃Marie　Caroline；〃　a　fine
brig　belonging　to　a　royalist　house　of　business。　He　brought　with　him
nineteen　hundred　thousand　francs　worth　of　gold…dust；　from　which　he
expected　to　derive　seven　or　eight　per　cent　more　at　the　Paris　mint。　On
the　brig　he　met　a　gentleman…in…ordinary　to　His　Majesty　Charles　X。；
Monsieur　d'Aubrion；　a　worthy　old　man　who　had　committed　the　folly　of
marrying　a　woman　of　fashion　with　a　fortune　derived　from　the　West　India
Islands。　To　meet　the　costs　of　Madame　d'Aubrion's　extravagance；　he　had
gone　out　to　the　Indies　to　sell　the　property；　and　was　now　returning
with　his　family　to　France。

Monsieur　and　Madame　d'Aubrion；　of　the　house　of　d'Aubrion　de　Buch；　a
family　of　southern　France；　whose　last　/captal/；　or　chief；　died　before
1789；　were　now　reduced　to　an　income　of　about　twenty　thousand　francs；
and　they　possessed　an　ugly　daughter　whom　the　mother　was　resolved　to
marry　without　a　/dot/；the　family　fortune　being　scarcely　sufficient
for　the　demands　of　her　own　life　in　Paris。　This　was　an　enterprise　whose
success　might　have　seemed　problematical　to　most　men　of　the　world；　in
spite　of　the　cleverness　with　which　such　men　credit　a　fashionable
woman；　in　fact；　Madame　d'Aubrion　herself；　when　she　looked　at　her
daughter；　almost　despaired　of　getting　rid　of　her　to　any　one；　even　to　a
man　craving　connection　with　nobility。　Mademoiselle　d'Aubrion　was　a
long；　spare；　spindling　demoiselle；　like　her　namesake　the　insect；　her
mouth　was　disdainful；　over　it　hung　a　nose　that　was　too　long；　thick　at
the　end；　sallow　in　its　normal　condition；　but　very　red　after　a　meal；a
sort　of　vegetable　phenomenon　which　is　particularly　disagreeable　when
it　appears　in　the　middle　of　a　pale；　dull；　and　uninteresting　face。　In
one　sense　she　was　all　that　a　worldly　mother；　thirty…eight　years　of　age
and　still　a　beauty　with　claims　to　admiration；　could　have　wished。
However；　to　counterbalance　her　personal　defects；　the　marquise　gave　her
daughter　a　distinguished　air；　subjected　her　to　hygienic　treatment
which　provisionally　kept　her　nose　at　a　reasonable　flesh…tint；　taught
her　the　art　of　dressing　well；　endowed　her　with　charming　manners；
showed　her　the　trick　of　melancholy　glances　which　interest　a　man　and
make　him　believe　that　he　has　found　a　long…sought　angel；　taught　her　the
manoeuvre　of　the　foot；letting　it　peep　beneath　the　petticoat；　to　show
its　tiny　size；　at　the　moment　when　the　nose　became　aggressively　red；　in
short；　Madame　d'Aubrion　had　cleverly　made　the　very　best　of　her
offspring。　By　means　of　full　sleeves；　deceptive　pads；　puffed　dresses
amply　trimmed；　and　high…pressure　corsets；　she　had　obtained　such
curious　feminine　developments　that　she　ought；　for　the　instruction　of
mothers；　to　have　exhibited　them　in　a　museum。

Charles　became　very　intimate　with　Madame　d'Aubrion　precisely　because
she　was　desirous　of　becoming　intimate　with　him。　Persons　who　were　on
board　the　brig　declared　that　the　handsome　Madame　d'Aubrion　neglected
no　means　of　capturing　so　rich　a　son…in…law。　On　landing　at　Bordeaux　in
June；　1827；　Monsieur；　Madame；　Mademoiselle　d'Aubrion；　and　Charles
lodged　at　the　same　hotel　and　started　together　for　Paris。　The　hotel
d'Aubrion　was　hampered　with　mortgages；　Charles　was　destined　to　free
it。　The　mother　told　him　how　delighted　she　would　be　to　give　up　the
ground…floor　to　a　son…in…law。　Not　sharing　Monsieur　d'Aubrion's
prejudices　on　the　score　of　nobility；　she　promised　Charles　Grandet　to
obtain　a　royal　ordinance　from　Charles　X。　which　would　authorize　him；
Grandet；　to　take　the　name　and　arms　of　d'Aubrion　and　to　succeed；　by
purchasing　the　entailed　estate　for　thirty…six　thousand　francs　a　year；
to　the　titles　of　Captal　de　Buch　and　Marquis　d'Aubrion。　By　thus　uniting
their　fortunes；　living　on　good　terms；　and　profiting　by　sinecures；　the
two　families　might　occupy　the　hotel　d'Aubrion　with　an　income　of　over　a
hundred　thousand　francs。

〃And　when　a　man　has　a　hundred　thousand　francs　a　year；　a　name；　a
family；　and　a　position　at　court；for　I　will　get　you　appointed　as
gentleman…of…the…bedchamber；he　can　do　what　he　likes；〃　she　said　to
Charles。　〃You　can　then　become　anything　you　choose；master　of　the
rolls　in　the　council　of　State；　prefect；　secretary　to　an　embassy；　the
ambassador　himself；　if　you　like。　Charles　X。　is　fond　of　d'Aubrion；　they
have　known　each　other　from　childhood。〃

Intoxicated　with　ambition；　Charles　toyed　with　the　hopes　thus　cleverly
presented　to　him　in　the　guise　of　confidences　poured　from　heart　to
heart。　Believing　his　father's　affairs　to　have　been　settled　by　his
uncle；　he　imagined　himself　suddenly　anchored　in　the　Faubourg　Saint…
Germain；that　social　object　of　all　desire；　where；　under　shelter　of
Mademoiselle　Mathilde's　purple　nose；　he　was　to　reappear　a